US House speaker to pursue ‘one big bill’ on Trump’s tax agenda

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham unveiled a plan on Friday that would boost funding by US$85.5 billion for four years for border security, deportations of migrants and for the military, leaving the extension of tax cuts to another bill later this year.

“Well, I talk with the president and his team about this almost constantly, reminding them that we will get the job done, but it has to be the one big bill strategy,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the House Budget Committee had previously planned to consider the Republican budget resolution next week, but “we might push it a little bit further because the details really matter”.

He said he needs to secure agreement among all House Republicans, who hold a razor-thin 218-215 majority in the chamber. The party plans to use a budget procedure that would allow them to pass financial legislation with only a simple Senate majority without any Democratic votes, so he cannot afford to lose more than one Republican vote.